Chapter 12 Exercises: Propaganda Techniques

Part A: Conceptual Foundations (Questions 1–8)

Exercise 12.1 — Defining Propaganda Write a precise, original definition of propaganda (not copied from the chapter) that: 1. Distinguishes propaganda from legitimate persuasion 2. Distinguishes propaganda from education 3. Addresses the role of intent (must the propagandist intend to manipulate, or is the effect sufficient?) 4. Addresses the role of accuracy (can propaganda consist of true information?)

Your definition should be 150–200 words and should anticipate at least two challenging borderline cases.

Exercise 12.2 — Bernays vs. Ellul Bernays and Ellul represent two different frameworks for understanding propaganda: - Bernays: Propaganda as a necessary and legitimate technique of mass democratic governance - Ellul: Propaganda as a structural feature of modern society that fundamentally distorts democratic life

a) In 300 words, explain the core disagreement between these perspectives. b) Which position do you find more compelling? Justify your answer with reference to at least one contemporary example. c) Is there a synthesis of these positions that preserves what is valuable in each?

Exercise 12.3 — The Seven Techniques: Identification Practice For each of the following advertising or political communication slogans/texts, identify the primary IPA technique(s) being deployed and explain how the technique works in that specific case:

a) "Don't be left behind — millions of Americans are already joining [movement]. Are you?" b) "[Opponent] is a radical extremist who hates American values and wants to destroy our way of life." c) "[Famous athlete] drinks Brand X water — it's the energy source of champions." d) "Our policy, like our values, is rooted in freedom, opportunity, and the American Dream." e) "I grew up in a working-class neighborhood. I wore hand-me-down clothes. I never forgot where I came from." f) "Our track record speaks for itself: unemployment down 30%, wages up 15%, exports at record levels." [Note: the ad does not mention that inflation is at 40%] g) "The president stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial to announce the new infrastructure plan, emphasizing America's tradition of building for the future."

Exercise 12.4 — Goebbels's Principles Five key principles can be identified in Goebbels's propaganda approach: simplification/repetition, emotional activation, the big lie, control of the information environment, and the enemy construction.

a) For each principle, explain the psychological mechanism through which it operates. b) For each principle, identify a contemporary example from political communication, advertising, or social media. (These may be from any ideological direction — the goal is technique identification, not partisan analysis.) c) For which of these principles do you believe the digital information environment provides the most dramatic amplification compared to the broadcast era? Justify your reasoning.

Exercise 12.5 — Cold War Propaganda Comparison The Cold War was characterized by propaganda operations from both sides: US (USIA, VOA, Radio Free Europe, CIA cultural programs) and Soviet (dezinformatsiya, active measures, domestic propaganda).

Write a 500-word comparative analysis addressing: a) What were the primary techniques used by each side? b) What were the primary target audiences and goals of each side's propaganda? c) Which do you assess as more effective, and why? d) What ethical differences (if any) existed between US and Soviet Cold War propaganda? Were US operations propaganda in the same sense as Soviet operations? e) How do Cold War propaganda techniques compare to contemporary state-sponsored information operations?

Exercise 12.6 — Cambridge Analytica Analysis The Cambridge Analytica scandal raised fundamental questions about data-driven political propaganda.

a) Explain psychographic targeting: what is the OCEAN model, and how does it enable personalized political advertising? b) What data did Cambridge Analytica collect, and how did it collect it? What ethical and legal violations were involved? c) What did Cambridge Analytica actually do with this data? Distinguish between what the company claimed to have done and what the evidence establishes it actually did. d) Cambridge Analytica's own promotional materials described its work as "data-driven communication" rather than propaganda. Apply the criteria from Section 12.8 to assess whether its work constitutes propaganda. e) What regulatory responses followed the Cambridge Analytica revelations? Do you assess these responses as adequate?

Exercise 12.7 — Visual Propaganda Analysis Select one of the following historical propaganda images (descriptions provided; research the actual images):

Option A: A Soviet "We shall overfulfill the Five-Year Plan!" poster from the 1930s Option B: A US wartime propaganda poster from WWII (e.g., "Rosie the Riveter," "Loose Lips Sink Ships") Option C: A Nazi propaganda image (available in historical archives with appropriate context) Option D: A Cold War-era political cartoon (from any side)

For your selected image, write a 400-word visual propaganda analysis addressing: a) Which IPA techniques (if any) are present in the visual content? b) What emotions is the image designed to evoke, and through what visual elements? c) What ideological presuppositions does the image encode (about gender, class, ethnicity, national identity)? d) What is NOT shown in the image, and how does absence contribute to its message? e) How effective do you assess this image as propaganda, and for which audiences?

Exercise 12.8 — The RESIST Framework Apply the full RESIST framework to a piece of contemporary political content of your choice (a political advertisement, social media post, meme, or political speech excerpt). Document your application of each step:

R: What is the content, and how did you recognize it as potentially propagandistic? E: What is your critical examination of its claims and sources? S: What is your source verification assessment? I: Which specific techniques are present, and how do they operate in this case? S: What is your sharing decision and justification? T: What would you teach others about this content?

Your analysis should be 500–700 words.

Part B: Technique Identification in Sample Texts (Questions 9–20)

Instructions: For each of the following texts, identify all present IPA propaganda techniques and any additional techniques discussed in the chapter. Provide brief justification (2–3 sentences) for each identification.

Exercise 12.9 "Senators who vote against this bill are voting against the American Dream. They're choosing corporate donors over hardworking families, choosing foreign interests over America First. But millions of real Americans — the farmers, the factory workers, the small business owners — are watching, and they will not forget."

Exercise 12.10 "I'm not a politician. I'm a regular guy who built a company from nothing. I drive a pickup truck. I shop at the same grocery stores you shop at. I'm running for Senate because Washington has forgotten people like us."

Exercise 12.11 "Secretary [Name] has consistently proven herself to be a reckless, incompetent extremist — her radical agenda would destroy the institutions our grandparents built, undermine the security of our communities, and betray the sacrifice of American veterans."

Exercise 12.12 "Fourteen Nobel Prize winners, 40 former secretaries of state, and 300 decorated military officers have publicly endorsed [Candidate]'s national security plan. The choice is clear."

Exercise 12.13 "Our company's environmental record speaks for itself: we've reduced our carbon footprint by 30% over the past decade, invested $2 billion in renewable energy, and planted 10 million trees." [Context: The company is facing investigation for dumping toxic waste at 12 sites; emissions have increased 200% in absolute terms over the same period due to company growth; the $2 billion is 0.3% of their profits.]

Exercise 12.14 "[Image of smiling family in front of American flag and church, with candidate shaking hands with a farmer] — [Candidate] is fighting for YOUR family. Because America's values are YOUR values."

Exercise 12.15 "The radical left wants to defund the police, open the borders, indoctrinate your children, destroy the family, and eliminate America as we know it. They won't stop until everything you love is gone. The only thing standing between them and your way of life is [Candidate]."

Exercise 12.16 "Polls show that 74% of Americans support our policy — an overwhelming majority. Hundreds of thousands have already signed the petition. Don't be the last to join the movement."

Exercise 12.17 "Our nation's greatest president [name] believed in exactly what [current candidate] is proposing. He stood at this same crossroads 80 years ago and chose America. Today, [current candidate] makes the same choice."

Exercise 12.18 "They say we're extremists. They say we're racists. They say we're dangerous. That's what the establishment always says about people who threaten their power. We are just ordinary [Americans/workers/patriots] who want our country back."

Exercise 12.19 "Medical experts confirm: [Brand X supplement] enhances immune function, supports cardiovascular health, and boosts mental clarity. [Celebrity with no medical credentials pictured] trusts Brand X. Shouldn't you?"

Exercise 12.20 "[Full-page advertisement] THE TRUTH THEY'RE HIDING: Internal documents obtained by this committee reveal a massive government surveillance program targeting innocent Americans. We demand immediate investigations. The question is: whose side are you on — the deep state's, or the people's?"

Part C: Applied Analysis (Questions 21–30)

Exercise 12.21 — Propaganda vs. Legitimate Advocacy For each of the following communication scenarios, assess whether it constitutes propaganda or legitimate persuasion/advocacy, applying the criteria from Section 12.8. Explain your reasoning in 100–150 words per scenario.

a) An environmental organization runs an advertisement showing images of polluted water near industrial facilities, with the tagline "This is what [Company X]'s profits look like." The images are accurate but selected for maximum emotional impact. b) A pharmaceutical company runs television advertisements saying "[Drug X] may cause serious side effects including [list]" — disclosures mandated by regulation — alongside images of smiling, active people implying the drug restored their quality of life. c) A political party uses A/B testing on social media to identify that voters in a particular demographic respond most strongly to immigration-related messages, and then targets those voters with immigration-focused political advertising. d) A public health department runs a campaign showing genuine statistics about opioid overdose deaths, with emotionally compelling personal stories from bereaved family members, to support addiction treatment funding. e) A foreign government funds an English-language media outlet that produces generally accurate news coverage but systematically emphasizes stories that portray US foreign policy negatively.

Exercise 12.22 — Meme Analysis Collect three political memes from different ideological perspectives (they can be from any source — social media, messaging apps, news coverage of memes). For each meme: a) Identify the political position or message the meme is promoting b) Identify the propaganda technique(s) employed c) Analyze the visual and textual elements and how they interact d) Assess the emotional responses the meme is designed to trigger e) Evaluate the accuracy of any factual claims the meme makes

Present your analysis in a structured table format, then write a 300-word comparative reflection on what patterns you notice across the three memes.

Exercise 12.23 — Historical Propaganda in Modern Context The chapter argues that Nazi propaganda techniques — simplification, repetition, enemy construction, emotional activation — appear in modified form in contemporary political communication. This is a potentially inflammatory comparison that requires careful handling.

Write a 600-word analytical essay that: a) Identifies specific contemporary propaganda techniques that share structural features with elements of Nazi propaganda b) Clearly articulates the important differences between contemporary cases and Nazi propaganda (scale, institutional support, consequences, explicit content) c) Explains why the comparison is analytically useful despite its risks d) Responds to the objection that the comparison is inherently manipulative (i.e., "Godwin's Law" — any comparison to Nazis is automatically an ad hominem rather than a legitimate historical argument)

Exercise 12.24 — Counter-Propaganda Design You have been commissioned to develop a counter-propaganda campaign targeting one of the following: a) Anti-vaccination propaganda circulating in social media health communities b) "Great Replacement" demographic conspiracy theory content targeting white-nationalist recruitment c) Climate change denial content produced by fossil fuel industry front groups d) Foreign disinformation targeting domestic political divisions

For your chosen case: 1. Analyze the propaganda techniques used by the opposition 2. Identify the target audience for your counter-campaign (be specific) 3. Design three specific counter-propaganda messages, each using different counter-techniques 4. Explain how your campaign avoids using the same manipulative techniques as the propaganda it counters 5. Identify the platforms, formats, and distribution strategies for your counter-campaign

(Note: This exercise asks you to design counter-propaganda, not to validate the positions being countered.)

Exercise 12.25 — Propaganda Audit of a Political Speech Select a significant political speech (inauguration address, State of the Union, major campaign speech) from any democratic country in the last 20 years. Conduct a systematic propaganda technique audit of the speech:

a) Transcribe or obtain the full text of the speech b) Go through the speech paragraph by paragraph, identifying any IPA techniques present c) Note the frequency and distribution of each technique throughout the speech d) Identify passages that you assess as legitimate persuasion rather than propaganda e) Write a 500-word assessment of the overall propaganda technique density of the speech and what it reveals about contemporary political rhetoric

Exercise 12.26 — Social Media Platform Design as Propaganda Infrastructure The chapter notes that social media platform design — algorithmic amplification of emotionally engaging content, like/share counts as social proof, default-on sharing — functions as infrastructure for propaganda spread.

Write a 500-word policy memo to a hypothetical social media platform arguing for specific design changes that would reduce the platform's role as propaganda infrastructure. Your memo should: a) Identify three specific design features that facilitate propaganda spread b) For each feature, propose a concrete design alternative c) Address the counterarguments (user experience, engagement metrics, free speech) d) Propose a measurement framework for assessing whether your changes reduce propaganda spread

Exercise 12.27 — The Ethics of Counter-Propaganda If propaganda is wrong because it manipulates people into believing things through illegitimate means, is counter-propaganda wrong for the same reason? Is it acceptable to use propaganda techniques to counter propaganda? To combat disinformation? To promote factually accurate public health messaging?

Write a 400-word philosophical analysis of the ethics of counter-propaganda, addressing: a) The consequentialist argument: effective counter-propaganda may require using the same techniques as propaganda b) The deontological argument: manipulation is wrong regardless of outcome or motivation c) The virtue ethics argument: what does using manipulative techniques do to the character of the counter-propagandist? d) Your own considered position on this question

Exercise 12.28 — Prebunking vs. Debunking Research distinguishes between "prebunking" (inoculating audiences against propaganda before exposure) and "debunking" (correcting false beliefs after the fact). The chapter discusses the illusory truth effect as a reason why debunking is often ineffective.

a) Explain the psychological mechanism of the illusory truth effect and why it makes debunking problematic. b) Explain the psychological mechanism of inoculation theory and how prebunking is supposed to work. c) Identify one specific propaganda technique from the IPA seven and design a prebunking intervention for that technique. Your intervention should follow the principles of inoculation theory: expose the technique, show examples, explain how it works, give practice in detection. d) What are the limitations of prebunking as a counter-propaganda strategy?

Exercise 12.29 — Dark Advertising and Democratic Transparency Political "dark ads" — advertisements visible only to their targeted recipients — create an accountability gap in democratic political discourse.

a) Explain what makes dark advertising problematic for democratic deliberation. b) Research the political advertising transparency rules that currently apply in your country or jurisdiction. Are dark ads regulated? c) Design a political advertising transparency framework that would address the dark ads problem while respecting free speech principles. d) How would platforms likely respond to your framework? What incentives do they have to resist or comply?

Exercise 12.30 — The Manufacturing of Controversy The chapter discusses the "manufacturing controversy" technique pioneered by the tobacco industry and replicated by other industries facing regulatory pressure.

a) Explain the mechanism of manufactured controversy: how does funding scientific-seeming research create the appearance of debate where scientific consensus exists? b) Research ONE contemporary example of alleged manufactured controversy (climate change denial, opioid safety research, pharmaceutical side effects, etc.) c) What criteria distinguish manufactured controversy from genuine scientific debate? (This is important — not all scientific debate is manufactured) d) What policy interventions might reduce the effectiveness of manufactured controversy as a propaganda technique? e) What responsibilities do journalists have when reporting on topics where manufactured controversy exists alongside genuine scientific consensus?

Solutions and worked examples for selected exercises are available in code/exercise-solutions.py.